Arrived in London with No Way to Enter Flat!

We booked a week in London at a flat in Fitzrovia section. By the pictures we weren’t expecting any great shakes, but still, what a disappointment once we were there in person! But that’s not the worst of it. We had been in communication with the host all along that we’d be arriving by noontime from USA and were assured a key would be waiting for us. Well, guess what: no key. So now we’re sitting on a London side street pub bench in the cold wondering what to do next because the host would not answer text, calls or email! We sat there for over an hour without any kind of response from the host about the key situation. This was a Saturday so why wasn’t he answering! We had reservations for a show and wanted to get settled, rested and changed and here we were sitting outside a pub with luggage. I was blowing a gasket. Finally, we decided to go knock on the door hoping someone would answer and have an extra key. Fortunately, one of the tenants answered and was a relative of the host and had an extra key. 90 min wasted in the cold! If we hadn’t thought of blinding knocking on the outside door (5 apartments in the building), we’d have wasted even more time. The host NEVER got back to us with an apology nor to even a reply to our many calls, texts and emails –not the entire week. I’m pretty boiling mad! Now, the flat. Worn, old furniture, saggy bed, one toilet refused to flush right, the other bathroom’s shower head came totally off the wall (!), there was mold on the ceiling, dim lighting and barely any glasses to drink of in the cupboard. Towels were frayed and scratchy. Oh and the best was the 3 story flight of stairs that we had to drag our luggage up. On the upside, it had cable tv and wifi. This was my first Airbnb experience. It will probably be my last, especially overseas! Now I would be forever worried the host wouldn’t leave the key or be accessible to let me in in the future. No thanks, hotel from now on.